Iowans learn to appreciate the state’s natural beauty. But let’s be honest: If the fifty states entered a beauty contest, Iowa would be a serious underdog. She may boast some of the world’s most fertile fields and two of the country’s largest rivers. But she doesn’t have the stunning coastlines or sunny disposition of many states. And she’s flat. Not voluptuous like the Rocky Mountain states or blessed with the elevation profiles of New England or Appalachia.

 But when October rolls around, she can still turn a few heads.

Fall colors bring out the state’s subtle good looks and accentuate her most flattering features. The best fall color hikes are mostly confined to the bluffs of the Mississippi River and Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa–a region not flattened by the glaciers that scoured most of Iowa thousands of years ago.

But where should hikers in the Des Moines area go for fall colors if they don’t want to drive 3 1/2 hours (or miss a day of Hawkeye football)?

Two of the best bets are Ledges State Park and Elk Rock State Park.

1. Ledges State Park

Ledges State Park is unique in Central Iowa because of the steep sandstone bluffs that surround Pea’s Creek as it spills into the Des Moines River. The park is a happy exception to Central Iowa’s endless cornfields, beanfields, and muddy rivers. Especially in Autumn.

It’s hard to time peak colors here. But you’ve got maybe a three week window to catch the trees at different stages of transition. In early October, enjoy the early-turning leaves along Canyon Drive. In early to mid-October, enjoy colorful overlooks of the “canyon” from Table Rock and the CCC loop trails that scale the sandstone outcroppings.

Later in the season, enjoy views of the Des Moines River valley from Inspiration Point and the Crow’s Nest. You can also walk these bluffs on the Lost Lake Trail.

Ledges is arguably the best state park in Central Iowa. And October is the best month to enjoy its foliage. Ledges State Park is south of Boone off highway 17 about 45 minutes northwest of Des Moines.

2. Elk Rock State Park

Growing up in Pella, Elk Rock State Park was my go-to hiking spot. On the south shore of Lake Red Rock, Elk Rock is approximately 45 minutes southeast of Des Moines. At peak season, the park offers hikers a colorful canopy of leaves around the fringes of Iowa’s largest reservoir.

Hikers share miles of multi-use, dirt trails with horses at Elk Rock State Park. Take a trail map to piece together a route of one or more of the park’s three loop trails: (1) the West Loop is an easy, 2.2 mile loop of woods, ponds, and occasional lake views; (2) the North Loop is a well-trodden, 1.8 mile lollipop route through hilly forest that approaches the lake shore and returns to the center of the park; (3) the East Loop is a 4 mile loop that mixes easy woodlands, hills, lake views, and prairies.

Ideally, you’d combine all three loops into a single hike. But you can also pick and choose, expecting the leaves to be at different stages in different sections of the park.

In my 2018 return to Elk Rock, for example, the leaves were at peak along Lake Red Rock’s bluffs and still nice along the West Loop. However, the trees were mostly bare along the East Loop Trail, except for isolated pockets of golden leaves that were sheltered from the wind.

The woodland views are nice, but not special. If you make it to the lake bluffs at Elk Rock State Park, however, you can stumble onto scenic views of Red Rock’s shorelines that are among the state’s best vistas:

For more unique views, venture off trail at the northernmost sections of the North Loop and East Loop. Work your way north towards the lake to enjoy distant views of the cliffs, trees, and observation tower on Red Rock’s north shore (pictured above). Hikers who find the rocky bluffs at South Elk Rock can look down onto the lake and gape left and right at the red, green, gold, and orange trees draped along the park’s sandstone cliffs. 

local travel tips

Enjoy the drive! Ledges Hikers: Consider stopping at the pumpkin patch or apple orchards along highways 141 and 17. With good timing, photographers may want to stop for pictures of the Des Moines River bluffs off the highway 17 bridge between Granger and Madrid.

Likewise, the fall foliage approaching Elk Rock State Park from the North can be spectacular from the Mile Long Bridge on Highway 14. With peak timing, you can see miles of colorful bluffs on both shores of Lake Red Rock. 

timing peak colors

Remember, leaves can change dramatically in just three days. And fall rain or winds can strip leaves in a hurry, especially along waterways and river bluffs. Keep your eye on the weather and get out frequently in October to maximize your fall hiking experience.

The DNR provides a calendar to help Iowans track the southern progression of Fall Colors in Iowa. Most years, you should start hiking Northeast Iowa in early October (average peak around Oct 10), hit Central Iowa during the second and third weeks of October, and finish in Southern Iowa the last two weeks of October.

hedonistic hiking

Enjoy the tastes of Iowa! Ledges hikers should consider a post-hike splurge at Whatcha Smokin in tiny Luther, Iowa. Carnivores can dive into some BBQ, and beer lovers can expect a good selection of Iowa beers on tap.

Conservative Pella is not a hotbed for hedonism. But Elk Rock hikers are missing out if they don’t start their day in Pella to carb up on Dutch bakery goodies or build a picnic lunch with stops at local institutions Jaarsma Bakery, Vander Ploeg Bakery, In’t Veld’s Meat Market, and Ulrich’s Meat Market.

My breakfast suggestions? Grab a coffee drink from Smokey Row to wash down the sugary goodness of Vander Ploeg’s glazed donut holes and creme-filled bismarks or maybe Jaarsma’s butter rolls. To pack a picnic lunch for your hike, grab some dried beef and cheese from Ulrich’s and snag a ring of Pella bologna from In’t Veldt’s for fresh sandwiches on Jaarsma’s bakery buns. And don’t forget to pack a bakery dessert: Stroopwafels? Andre cookies? Cremehorns? Too many choices for hedonistic hikers. 

If you prefer pizza and onion rings to smoked meats and sugar, consider a side trip to the Checkerboard in Pleasantville. This western-themed restaurant is a south-central Iowa institution. Go for the onion rings (a must!), stay for a post-hike pizza, and enjoy the Checkerboard’s quirky Western decor.

peddle and paddle for fall colors

Finally, bicyclists and paddlers have an advantage over Iowa hikers since the DNR and Army Corp of Engineers have paved the best treks around the state’s major rivers and reservoirs. So consider ditching your hiking boots for your bicycle, canoe, or kayak to catch the best foliage.

Instead of hiking Ledges State Park, for example, bicyclists can enjoy fall colors along the High Trestle Trail. Similarly, kayakers can paddle scenic stretches of the Des Moines River from Boone County to Saylorville by arranging self-shuttles between the accessible launches dotting the Des Moines River Water Trail. 

Paddlers may also have the best views of fall colors at Lake Rock. Focus on the scenic cliffs of Elk Rock State Park on the south shoreline (boat launch in the park). Or paddle the sandstone cliffs on the north shoreline by launching from Cordova State Park. 

In Autumn, remember to gear up for cold-water paddling. Ideally, paddlers should tackle the Des Moines River and Red Rock Reservoir with a touring kayak or recreational kayak that’s at least 12 feet long.     

Iowa may not be the prettiest state. But she’s not bad looking in the fall–if you get outside to hike, paddle, and travel.